Pokemon Crystal Version
Pokémon Crystal Version (Japanese: ポケットモンスタークリスタル Pocket Monsters Crystal) is the sixth Pokémon game in the main series; however, in Japan it was actually the seventh Pokémon game. It was released as a sister game of Pokémon Gold and Silver, which were released one year before. It featured various fixes and some new additions, including the short animations of Pokémon's battle sprites upon being released from their Poké Ball and the introduction of the option to play a girl character, among others. It takes place in the region of Johto (and later in the game, Kanto) and the player's starting area is New Bark Town. Contents hide 1 Plot 2 Features 2.1 Changes from Gold and Silver 2.2 Changes from the Japanese version of Crystal 2.3 Gyms 2.4 Elite Four 2.5 Pokémon 2.5.1 Pokémon not found in Crystal 2.6 PokéGear 2.7 Apricorns 2.8 Kanto 3 New features 4 Reception 5 Trivia 6 References Plot Team Rocket has returned with a new attitude, since the disappearance of their leader Giovanni, and once again tries to take over the world, starting with the Johto region. They begin with petty things (such as cutting off the tails of Slowpoke to sell as food for a high price) before becoming more devious, such as a plan to use radio frequencies to artificially induce evolution in some Pokémon, as well as trying to contact their missing leader using radio broadcasts. The player is called to Professor Elm's lab to run an errand. He gives the player the choice of taking along one of three different Pokémon. Chikorita, Cyndaquil, or Totodile. The player, known by default as Gold, meets Kanto's own Professor Oak during an errand for Elm. Oak, convinced that Gold has started his own Pokémon journey, gives him a Pokédex. On the way back Gold is attacked by a spiteful and mysterious Pokémon trainer. Upon his return to New Bark Town, Gold is informed that someone has broke into Professor Elm's lab and has stolen a Pokémon, the same Pokémon that the trainer from earlier battled with; even more so, the trainer fits the description of the Pokémon thief. This character's default name is Silver. He will battle the player at certain points in the game to test the player's Pokémon; being defeated is an indication for the player to level up his or her team. He will always steal for his starter a Pokémon that has a type advantage over the player's chosen one. For example, if the player chooses Chikorita, a Grass-type Pokémon, he will choose Cyndaquil, a Fire-type Pokémon, giving it an advantage over the Grass-type Chikorita. Throughout the adventure, the player will also come across a man named Eusine, hopeful of catching the legendary Pokémon Suicune. To earn Suicune's respect, Eusine will often challenge the player to a battle. Features Changes from Gold and Silver Another character, Eusine, is added to the game. He is searching for Suicune as well, and will battle players to earn its respect. Both Lugia and Ho-Oh can be found in this game; Lugia in the Whirl Islands, and Ho-Oh at the Tin Tower. They are both level 60 when they are caught. However, Ho-Oh cannot be caught until Raikou, Entei, and Suicune are all caught. Changes were made to the Ruins of Alph. This included more common Unown, as well as a new subplot – completing enough puzzles allows the player to read a secret message left behind by the Unown. It suggests that the Unown were left behind by the ancient civilization that constructed the Ruins of Alph, and that the statues that line the interior were made by the Unown. Extra grass was added to the route west of Violet City, and in this grass, Growlithe can be caught, allowing players to acquire a Fire-type Pokémon much earlier than in other versions (assuming they did not choose Cyndaquil), and making a large difference in the availability of Fire-types for areas like the Azalea Gym and the Sprout Tower, where Fire-types are super-effective. Areas like the Ice Path and Lance's chamber at the Indigo Plateau received alternate designs as well. Players can now catch certain Pokémon that were exclusive to either Gold or Silver. For example, Gligar and Skarmory are both catchable in this game but were exclusive to only a certain version previously. Sneasel appears in the Ice Path, whereas in Gold and Silver it did not appear until reaching Mt. Silver. Previously, trainers who called on the cell phone all said the same thing with only the names of the Pokémon they reference. Trainers are now given distinct personalities (one talks about shopping, another about grooming), and call for reasons other than battling, such as giving the player items or informing them of a rare Pokémon appearing (Wade gives the player Berries, Alan gives them a Fire Stone, etc). Raikou, Entei, and Suicune have their own special battle music when the player encounters them in the wild, making Crystal the first game to sport special legendary Pokémon battle music. Some trainers were repositioned on the map. Suicune, instead of being a side legendary Pokémon, has a prominent role in the game's storyline. The player will constantly find Suicune in various locations throughout Johto. After receiving a Clear Bell (the Crystal version equivalent of the Silver or Rainbow Wing), the player will have a chance to battle and capture it in the Tin Tower, and it will not run away. The Buena's Password radio show was added, which players can listen to on their PokéGear and receive points in order to redeem prizes. The chain of events to obtain the Rising Badge is altered. Where previously, it involved a trip to the Dragon's Den to retrieve the Dragon Fang, it now involves entering the Dragon Shrine within the Den. There, Clair's grandfather and leader of the dragon-user clan quizzes the player on their style of battling. Clair arrives and still refuses to hand over her badge after the player passes. In response, her grandfather threatens to tell Lance, of whom Clair is terrified. If all the questions are answered correctly, the player will receive a Dratini that knows ExtremeSpeed upon returning and speaking with Clair's grandfather. The Pokémon Daycare folk will give a free Pokémon egg to the player. The "reset the clock" glitch from Pokémon Gold and Silver was fixed. Pokémon sprites are now animated, a feature that would not be seen again until Pokémon Emerald. Changes from the Japanese version of Crystal The English version of Crystal, while improving on the mechanics of Gold and Silver, did not reprise a number of newer features that the Japanese version had received: In the Japanese version, Celebi may be caught in the Ilex Forest after completing a short side-mission. A special mobile event allowed players to obtain, via mobile phone link-up, the GS Ball. This item, given by a nurse in the Pokémon Communication Center in Goldenrod City, may be taken to Kurt in Azalea Town to investigate. After a day passes, taking the GS Ball to the shrine in Ilex Forest summons a level 30 Celebi to battle. Despite the fact that the GS Ball was unavailable without the use of a cheating device like GameShark, the event was translated, indicating that it was intended for the English releases to include the event, but was later scrapped. Goldenrod City's Pokémon Center was replaced by a much larger building, the aforementioned Pokémon Communication Center. Players could link to trade or battle through the use of a mobile phone adapter. Players could leave a Pokémon and a request the Pokémon species that it be traded for at the Pokémon Communication Center's Trade Corner. A player could also view Pokémon up for trade from other players, and trade with them. This feature was later used for the Global Trade Station of the Diamond and Pearl versions. The News Machine at the Pokémon Communication Center updated over the Mobile Adapter. Pokémon News was compiled from the save data of players across Japan, allowing players to read about other players' adventures. The old man at the Pokémon Daycare south of Goldenrod City gave an Egg Ticket which, when taken to the Trade Center at the Pokémon Communication Center, could be traded for an Odd Egg which carried a rare alternately colored baby Pokémon knowing Dizzy Punch. In the English version the old man instead gives away the egg itself. Gyms As in Pokémon Gold and Silver, there are eight Pokémon Gyms in Johto, each with their own type affiliation. The Gym Leaders are Falkner (Flying), Bugsy (Bug), Whitney (Normal), Morty (Ghost), Chuck (Fighting), Jasmine (Steel), Pryce (Ice) and Clair (Dragon). Once again, as in Pokémon Gold and Silver, Kanto is accessible after defeating the Elite Four, allowing players to visit the eight Pokémon Gyms in the region, even though there have been some changes. The Gym Leaders are Brock (Rock), Misty (Water), Lt. Surge (Electric), Erika (Grass), Janine (Poison), Sabrina (Psychic), Blaine (Fire) and Blue, which uses various types, thus not having a preference for one. Elite Four The Elite Four, located at the Indigo Plateau, also remained unchanged. The Elite trainers are Will (Psychic), Koga (Poison), Bruno (Fighting), and Karen (Dark); the Champion is Lance, who uses Dragon-type Pokémon. Pokémon Each game contains pre-recorded data on all 251 Pokémon of this and the previous generation (including Mew and Celebi). Despite this, not all Pokémon are available to the player, regardless of version; trades must occur between players in order to complete their Pokédex without the use of cheats. Mew (the Nintendo exclusive of Generation I) and Celebi are the only Pokémon in Gold and Silver that must be acquired through the attending of a Nintendo sponsored event. Pokémon not found in Crystal These Pokémon must be traded from the other games of Generation I and II, as they cannot be found in Pokémon Crystal. Found in Gold and Silver 037 Vulpix Fire GBS 038 Ninetales Fire GBS 056 Mankey Fighting RYG 057 Primeape Fighting RYG 179 Mareep Electric GS 180 Flaaffy Electric GS 181 Ampharos Electric GS 203 Girafarig Normal Psychic GS 223 Remoraid Water GS 224 Octillery Water GS Only in Generation I 001 Bulbasaur Grass Poison 002 Ivysaur Grass Poison 003 Venusaur Grass Poison 004 Charmander Fire 005 Charmeleon Fire 006 Charizard Fire Flying 007 Squirtle Water 008 Wartortle Water 009 Blastoise Water 138 Omanyte Rock Water 139 Omastar Rock Water 140 Kabuto Rock Water 141 Kabutops Rock Water 144 Articuno Ice Flying 145 Zapdos Electric Flying 146 Moltres Fire Flying 150 Mewtwo Psychic 151 Mew Psychic PokéGear The PokéGear is received at the beginning of the game from the protagonist's mother. It has several functions, some of which will need to be unlocked during the game by receiving special expansion cards. The PokéGear displays the day of the week and the time of day, entered at the beginning of the game, a map of Johto (and later Kanto) once the Map Card is obtained, a cellphone, allowing the user to make calls to people that they've traded phone numbers with, and a radio which allows the player to get tips from Professor Oak and DJ Mary on Oak's Pokémon Talk, affect how active wild Pokémon are by playing Pokémon March or Pokémon Lullaby on the Pokémon Music station, listen to the Lucky Channel to keep track of the Radio Tower's lottery promotion, or tune into Buena's Password and receive points in order to redeem prizes. Apricorns More specialized Poké Balls were introduced in this game. A Lure Ball is more effective if used against a Pokémon caught with a fishing rod, and a Friend Ball will make a Pokémon more comfortable and friendly to its trainer much more quickly. To obtain these balls, Apricorns must be picked from special plants found throughout Johto, and Kurt in Azalea Town will fashion these into the different balls based on their color. In Pokémon Gold and Silver, only one Poké Ball can be created at once; in Crystal this changed so that the player could create multiple balls simultaneously, provided the Apricorns were of the same color. Players must wait until the next day for Kurt to finish the ball. Although these specialized Poké Balls and Apricorns were not in future generations, they were replaced by other specialized balls. Kanto The Generation II incarnation of Kanto remained the same as in Pokémon Gold and Silver. New features While Gold and Silver introduced the majority of Generation II's contributions to the game mechanics, Crystal also featured several additions to the franchise that would continue even into Generation IV. Crystal introduced the option to play as a female. The game also featured the first move tutor of the series, as well as the first Battle Tower. The Japanese version of Crystal also introduced the ability to link to a wireless connection and interact with other characters (via cell phone). The Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter also enabled this ability in Generation III, and the Wi-Fi capabilities of the Nintendo DS completely optimized the concept in Generation IV games. Reception Pokémon Crystal received good reviews, although they were not quite as positive as those of Pokémon Gold and Silver. It was praised as being the best Pokémon game to date, "definitely the version to get if you aren't already one of the upteenth billion owners of Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, Pokémon Yellow, Pokémon Gold, or Pokémon Silver" 1. However, like Pokémon Yellow before it, and subsequently Pokémon Emerald, it was criticized for being too similar to its sister games, with IGN commenting, "there's not much in this edition that makes it a 'must buy' for folks who already own a copy or two of the previous editions" 2. The game received an average score of 80% from Game Rankings, over 10% lower than Pokémon Gold and Silver. Trivia People buying a Game Boy Color during the release of this game were given the option of buying a Game Boy Advance that came with Pokémon Crystal in the package. Due to the female character not being in Gold or Silver, the sprite of the character will automatically change to the male character's sprite when trading or battling with Gold or Silver. Why the GS Ball-related events are not available in the English version has never been officially revealed; Nintendo says that they had FCC issues, but it is more likely a result of children with cell phones being not nearly as common outside of Japan in 2001, and to the plethora of different styles of phones in use in North America. While the mobile adapter system did not make the cut, the maps and text for the system can still be found in the English version, indicating that it was initially intended for the English release. Pokémon Crystal is the only third version to have its version mascot come before the version mascots of the other two games of its generation in the National Pokédex. Pokémon Crystal is also the only third version in a generation with three legendary version mascots to have its version mascot not in a legendary trio with the other two. Although Pokémon Gold and Silver are compatible with both the regular Game Boy and the Game Boy Color as well as with the Game Boy Advance (including the Game Boy Advance SP), Crystal will work only on the latter two. This is due to the cartridges being of different models. However, it will not work on a Game Boy micro, which only supports Game Boy Advance games. Pokémon Crystal was the first game to include animated sprites for Pokémon, though this only applies to front sprites (back sprites remain still as they did in previous games). This feature was absent in later games until it was reintroduced in Pokémon Emerald, after which it became standard. (Back sprites did not become fully animated until Pokémon Platinum, which also added animations for important Trainers such as Gym Leaders.)